Rotary cloth-cutter



C. H. BEACH. ROTARY CLOTH CUTTER. APPLICAUON FILED luLYal Patented Aug.26, 1919.

CHESTER H. BEACH, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN.

ROTARY CLOTH-CUTTER Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

Application led July 31, 1918. Serial No. 247,476.

To all lwhom it may concern:

l Be it known that I, CHESTER H. BEACH, a citizen of the United States,-residino` at Racine, in the county of Racine and Sttate of Wisconsin,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in RotaryCloth-Cutters, of which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to improvements in rotary cloth cutters, thepresent application being filed as a continuation of, and substitutefor, my co-pending application filed October 4, 1915, Serial No. 54,061.

4 tion is carried out.

The objects of my invention are to provide a very simple and efficientdevice of this character, and to provide improved means for sharpeningthe rotary cutting blade.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of theinvention. Other forms thereof maybe devised, however, and, therefore, Ido not wish to vlimit myself to the details of the preferred embodimentherein described.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the de` vice; and

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

he -motive power is su plied by a small electric motor 1, provide with asuitable handle 2, by means of which the entire structure may be guidedin use, and by which it ma also be lifted. A push button 3 projects romthe handle and controls the motor, the operator merely pressing thebutton in order to cause the armature to rotate. The end of the motoropposite the handle is provided with a boss 4 through which the armatureshaft 5 projects, sald shaft beinglprovided with a plurality of'-pulleys 6 and 7, which are preferably of the ordinary flanged type.

The motor is hinged as at 8 to a rearwardly projecting arm 9constituting a part of the vertically disposed plate 10, which plate isrigidly secured in any suitable manner to a thm, wide base-plate 11,which supports the entire structure and permits it to be readily slidalong the table or other support on which the cutting opera- The outermargln of the base-plate 11 is brought down to a sharp edge whereby saidplate may be readily slid under the cloth, or other material be- Mountedsubstantially .Centrally 0f the `vertical plate 10 is a stud orstub-shaft 12, one end of which carries the rotary cuttin blade 13,while on the other end of sai shaft is mounted a suitable pulley 14,whereby said cutting blade may be driven by power derived from thearmature shaft 5 of the motor by means of a suitable belt \15 whichengages said pulley 14 and the outer' pulley 7 on the end of saidarmature shaft. The tension of the belt 15 may be readily adjusted bymeans of a screw 16, which lextends through the outer end of thesupporting arm 9 into contact with the underside of the motor, as shownmore clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawin From this it will e readily observethat by turning the screw 16 in or out, the motor and its shaft will beeither raised or lowered relatively to the vertical late 10 and thestubshaft'12 carried there y, whereby the tenslon of the belt 15 may beregulated to secure the most effective driving engagement. It will alsobe noted that by turning the screw 16 out far enough, the outer end ofthe motor may be lowered sufficiently to permit of the belt beingentirely removed from its pulleys.

The plane of rotation of the rotary cutter is preferably at right anglesto the plane of rotation of the driving pulley on the armature shaft,and, accordingly, the belt 15 is preferably twisted as shown to permitthis driving to be effected without the use of gearing. The rotarycutter is of thin metal and has a sharp razor-like edge which isprotected and guarded by bending over the edge 17 of the supportingplate 10, said plate being of circular outline in order to conform tothe shape of the blade.

Pivotally mounted on the boss or hub 4 in any suitable manner,preferably by means of an annular collar such as shown at 18, is an armor lever 19 which carries a stud .20, the latter supporting a smallgrinding wheel 21 and a pulley 22 associated therewith in, such wisethat said wheel may be driven from the inner pulley 6 mounted on thearmature shaft by means of a belt 23. The arm or lever 19 may beretained in position on the boss 4 in an suitable manner, it being shownheld t ereon 1n the drawings, however, by means of a small ball-shapedmember 24, which is normally held by means of a coil spring 25 inengagement with an annular groove 26 which extends around .Said boss,said spring being contained within a suitable housing 27 carried Iby thecollar 18. It, is preferred to provide a spring which will exertsulficient pressure upon the ball 24C to retain the arm 19 in anydesired position relative to the boss 4. lIn order to insure a morepositive retention of the arm in its upright position as shown in Fig. 1of the drawings, however, a depression 26a may be provided in the top ofthe boss slightly deeper than the groove 26, whereby when the arm ismoved to its upright position the ball 24 will snap into saiddepression, thereby holding said arm against accidental displacement.

In using the grinding wheel to sharpen the blade, the arm 19 is simplyswung to lowermost position, first on one side and then on the otherside of the blade, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. rlhe plate 10 iscut away Aor slotted, as shown at 28, to permit the grinding wheel to beheld first against one side and then against the other side of therotary cutter to grind a ne edge thereon without being interfered withby said plate. 1t will be seen that the grinding wheel rotates in aplane at right angles to the plane of rotation of the cutter, andtherefore is very effective in its action.

Whenever the motor is running, the grindlng wheel rotates, provided thebelt 23 is in position on the pulleys 6 and 22. lt is obvious, however,that when the grinding wheel is not being used, rotation thereof is notnecessary, and in fact would be objectionable. It is therefore preferredto form the belt 23 of rubber or other suitable elastic material,whereby when the grinding wheel is not in use the said belt maybesnapped back over the collarv 18 of the arm 19, as shown in dotted linesin Fig. 1, thereby rendering the said wheel inoperative. rl`he tensionof the belt 23 may also be regulated to secure the most effectivedriving engagement by raising or lowering the stud 20 in the adjustingslot 29 provided in the arm 19. The stud may be firmly clamped in itsadjusted position by means of the nut 30.

To providevainple clearance for the belt 15, the plate 10 and thecutting blade are preferably disposed slightly to one side of thearmature shaft, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. ln order that thegrinding wheel 21, carried by the arm or lever 19, may 0perate uniformlyon both sides of the cutting blade, however, the boss or hub 4 ispreferably disposed eccentric relative to the armatnreshaft in suchwise` that the axis of rotation of said lever 19 will lie insubstantially the same plane with the cutting blade. This is also shownmore clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawings. ln view of this latterconstruction and relative arrangement of parts, it will be apparent thatthe distance between the driven pulley 22 and the driving pulley 6 onthe armature shaft varies, said distance being greater when the arm isswung to the right, hand dotted line position of Fig. 2 than when saidarm is swung to the other dotted line position shown in Fig. 2. Hence,inthe provision of the elastic belt 23, another purpose will beapparent, namely, that of maintaining an effective driving engagementbetween the armature shaft and the grinding Wheel stud regardless ofwhich side of the blade the wheel is operated.

The plate 10 is preferably notched out, as shown at 31, to expose theedge of the cutting blade to the cloth, several thicknesses of which mayreadily be cut at`one time. The plate 11 is thin and smooth, whereby thecloth may slide freely over it, and the entire structure may be readilyturned by the handle 2 and pushed along the table or other support topermit the cutter to follow a very irregular Vline if necessary.

It is obvious that the construction illustrated and described issusceptible of various changes and modifications, and, accordingly, itis not desired to restrict the invention to the embodiment shown, exceptwhere limitations appear in the appended claims.

llVhat l claim is: 4

1. A cloth cutter comprising an electric motor, a rotary cutting blademounted on an axis at right angles to the axis of the motor, a drivingbelt for driving said blade directly from the motor armature shaft, apivotally mounted supporting arm, a grinding wheel mounted on said armto rotate in a plane at right angles to said blade, and means for drivinsaid grinding wheel from said armature s aft.

2. ln a device of the class described, a rotary cutting blade, anelectric motor for driving the same, a grinding wheel also driven bysaid electric motor, said grinding wheel being mounted to rotate in aplane at right angles to the planeof said-blade, and means for movingsaid grinding wheel into engagement with either side of said bladeatyits edge.

3. 1n a device of the class described, an extended supporting base, avertical supporting plate thereon, a rotary blade mounted on said plate,the latter conforming in part to the shape of said blade and being Abentover the edge thereof to form a guard. a

pulley, a supporting element for said motor, a base for said supportingelement, a. rotary cutter carried by said supporting element andprojecting into an opening in said base, and means for driving saidrotary cutter directly from said armature shaft.

5. In a device of the class described, a cutting element, an electricmotor for driving the same, said motor being provided with a hub throughwhich the armature shaft of said motor projects, an oscillatory armmounted on said hub, a stud carried thereby, a pulley and a grindingwheel on said stud, a pulley on the projecting end of said armatureshaft, and an elastic driving belt passing over said pulleys wherebysaid grinding wheel may be rotated when,the armature shaft is rotatedand whereby said elastic belt may be stretched over said hub to preventrotation of said grinding wheel when said armature shaft is rotated.

6. A cloth cutter comprising an electric motor, a rotary blade adaptedto be driven thereby, a supporting arm pivotally mounted about thearmature shaft of said motor, a grinding wheel mounted on said arm torotate in a plane at right angles to said blade, and means for drivingsaid grinding wheel from said armature shaft..

7. A cloth cutter comprising an electric motor, a driving shaftprojecting therefrom, a cutting blade mounted below said driving shafton an axis disposed at right angles thereto, a grinding wheel normallyposi` tioned above said driving shaft on an axis parallel thereto, andmeans whereby said grinding wheel may be rocked int-o engagement witheither side of said cutting blade.

8. A cloth cutter comprising an electric motor having a casing, a rotaryblade carried by said casing, said rotary blade being mounted on an axisat right angles to the axis of the motor, and a belt for driving saidblade directly from the motor armature shaft, said motor being movablerelatively to said blade whereby the tension of said belt may beadjusted.

f). A clothl'cutter comprising a base member having an upstanding platethereon, ay rearwardly extending arm on said plate, a motor pivotallymounted thereon, a cutting blade and a pulley carried by said plate,means whereby said pulley and blade may be driven from the armatureshaft of said motor` and means whereby said motor may be rocked aboutits pivot to effect an adjustment of said driving means.

10. In a device of the class described, a base lnember, an upstandingplate thereon, an arm extending rearwardly from said plate, a motorpivotally supported thereon with its armature shaft projecting over saidplate. a cutting blade carried by said plate, a pulley associatedtherewith, a belt for driv ing said pulley from said armature shaft,

and means for raising or lowering said armature shaft relatively to saidpulley to regulate the tension of said belt.

11. In a device of the class described, a base member, an upstandingplate thereon, an arm extending rearwardly from said plate, a motorsupported thereon having a hub, the armature shaft of saidlmotor being'projected eccentrically through said hub and over said plate, a cuttingblade carried by said plate, a pulley associated therewith, means fordrivlng said pulley from said armature shaft, said plate and blade beingmounted to one side of said armature shaft and being disposed in theapproximate plane of the longitudinal axis of said hub to provide aclearance for said driving means, an arm, a grinding wheel carriedthereby, said arm being pivotally mounted on said hub whereby said wheelmay be moved into engagement with either side of said blade at its edge,and means for driving said wheel from the motor armature shaft on eitherside of said blade.

12. A cloth cutter comprising an electric motor, a cut-ting bladeadapted t0 be driven thereby, a hub on said motor, a grinding wheel, asupporting arm for said wheel rotatably mounted on said hub whereby saidwheel may be moved into engagement with either side of said blade, andmeans for maintaining said arm in operative position on said hub.

4 13. A cloth cutter comprising an electric motor, a cutting bladeadapted to be driven thereby, a hub on said motor, a grinding wheel, asupporting arm for said wheel rotatably mounted on said hubwhereby saidwheel may be moved linto engagement with either side of said blade, andspring means for maintaining said arm in operative position 0n said hub.Y

14. A cloth cutter comprising an electric motor, a cutting blade adaptedto be driven thereby, a hub on said motor, a grinding wheel, asupporting arm for said wheel rotatably mounted on said hub whereby saidwheel may be moved into yengagement with either side of said blade, anannular groove in said hub, and spring means carried by said arm adaptedto seat in said groove to thereby guide said arm in its movements aboutsaid hub.

15. A cloth cutter comprising an electric motor, a cutting blade adaptedto be driven thereby', a hub on said motor, a grinding wheel, asupporting arm for said wheel rotatably mounted on said hub whereby saidwheel may be moved into engagement with either side of said blade, andmeans for positively maintaining said arm in upright position when notin use.

16. 1n a device of the class described, a base member, an upstandingplate thereon. an arm extending rearwardly from said ment with eitherSide of said blade at its 10 edge, and means for driving said Wheel fromthe motor armature shaft on either side of said blade.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed my name.

CHESTER H. BEACH.

